Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Because readers imagine themselves in the universe, there are kind of two stories taking place- one being the "Harry Potter" story, and the other being the story that the reader creates for themselves as they imagine exploring the world and reacting to the world's events. This is why I think Harry Potter is so fondly remembered, people don't just remember the story of Harry, but they additionally remember their own adventures that they created for themselves along the way.

Of course, these choices go beyond just the houses. There are many other options that J.K. gives readers that really lets them imagine themselves (or a character they create) as a character in the books. We've got:

What kind of pet you would take to Hogwarts: an owl, cat, or rat (and the specifics of that pet, like color, personally, and so on)?
What kind of materials your wand would be made out of and what it would look like?
What position would you play in Quidditch?
What kind of broom would you buy?
What classes you would take at Hogwarts?
What would your patronus be?
What kind of spells would you learn?

3. "Japanese prosecutors indicted three former executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, owner of the ruined Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, on Monday, charging them with criminal negligence for their role in reactor meltdowns after an earthquake and tsunami five years ago."

Prosecutors initially declined to bring charges in the case. They said there was not enough evidence that failings by Tepco or its leaders had amounted to criminal wrongdoing. But their decision angered Fukushima residents and antinuclear campaigners, who formed the organization led by Ms. Muto, the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Plaintiffs Group, to demand a review.

A rarely used feature of Japanese law allows committees made up of private citizens to examine prosecutors’ decisions regarding whether to indict suspects. In certain circumstances, they can order those decisions reversed.